


Stolen Garnet

by thingswithwings



Category: Leverage
Genre: Coming Out, Cosplay, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Multi, Non-binary character, Other, Steven Universe References, non-binary space rocks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 02:50:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15500673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thingswithwings/pseuds/thingswithwings
Summary: For the prompt "Alec Hardison switching to 'they' pronouns." Alec loves cosplay, and cosplay gives Alec the language they need to talk about their gender with Parker and Eliot.





	Stolen Garnet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sasha_feather](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasha_feather/gifts).



> I hadn't ever thought of Alec as nonbinary, so when I thought, 'how would they express that initially,' I thought of fannishness and cosplay as a route to deconstructing gender. So this is a little bit classic coming out story.
> 
> Alec's cosplay choices inspired in part by Rebecca Sugar coming out as a non-binary woman!

There's a thing called cosplay, which Parker learns about because Alec cares about it, and Parker cares about Alec. Alec learned how to jump off of buildings for her, so Parker figures they're even steven. Anyway cosplay is just wearing costumes for tv shows or movies you like, which doesn't strike Parker as all that different from wearing costumes for a con.

Costumes for a con, though, never make Alec's face light up like the ones he does for . . . the other kind of con. Conventions. When Alec's face lights up like that, it makes something go soft in Parker's chest. Alec hadn't even shown them all his costumes right away, maybe like Parker hadn't shown anyone her storage unit right away, so she figures it's really important to him.

"They're really pretty," she says, running her fingers over all the different colors and textures of cloth hanging in the closet. "I bet you look real pretty in them."

Alec's smile is soft. "Yeah?" he asks. Parker nods. 

"Yup."

He is, too; he's pretty when he's dressed up like a robot and pretty when he's dressed up as an alien, pretty in armor and in loose flowy robes. He does his makeup, applying facepaint, dusting color over his eyelids, putting glitter in his eyelashes. Parker likes to watch him do it. 

"I never got how girls did all that," Parker says. Alec gives her a long look out of the side of his (currently bright green) eye before replying.

"I can show you," he offers. Parker shakes her head.

"Nah. I like it better on you."

Parker notices that some of the characters Alec likes to dress up as are . . . maybe girls? It's hard to tell with so many robots and aliens, but some of them are definitely human women. But she figures that's what dressing up is for, being someone else. Alec always tells her the names—Riri Williams, Lara Croft, The Inquisitor—but she doesn't look them up online. She likes how Alec looks in the outfits, and doesn't want to compare.

There's one that Parker thinks is special: the character is tall, with heavy fighting gloves on the hands, and a huge square afro. The jumpsuit is purple, pink, and black, and comes with mirrored sunglasses. 

"This is my favorite," Parker says, when Alec puts that one on for whatever comic con he's headed to this weekend. It's her favorite because of how Alec looks when he wears it, like it makes him happy. He smiles when she says this.

"Y'know, I think it might be mine, too." He fixes the big boxing gloves.

"Tell me about her."

Alec's surprised; Parker's never asked this before. He shrugs. "She's a sentient rock from outer space. Actually two sentient rocks from outer space, fused together. And she's only sort of a she; all the outer space rocks don't really have human genders."

"Hmmm. Like, valuable rocks? Diamonds and rubies?" 

"Yeah," Alec laughs. "This one's called Garnet."

Garnet isn't the most valuable semi-precious stone, but Parker wouldn't object to stealing some, like for a fun outing or something. "We should watch this show. About the . . . nonbinary space rocks."

Alec's eyebrows go up, and he kisses her. "Okay," he says.

*

When he comes back Sunday night, Parker's excited to show him the garnets she stole from a local collector, but the moment he walks in the door she puts the velvet gemstone bag down on the table. Alec seems heavier, exhausted, beyond just being tired. Parker frowns, then does the thing she's learned to do in this situation.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"I got some shit for cosplaying as Garnet," he says. "It's no big deal."

Parker frowns. "Did you get the costume wrong?" This brings Alec's head snapping up. 

"You _know_ my cosplay is on point," he says. He sighs. "They said men shouldn't cosplay as women. That there are few enough black women characters to cosplay."

"I thought Garnet wasn't a woman," Parker asks, confused. Her fingers brush over the little bag of gems on the table; surely they don't have human genders either.

"You remembered that?" Alec comes and sits down next to her, taking off his wig and his sunglasses. His third eye blinks on its own. His cosplay _is_ on point; Parker is mad at the people were jerks to him.

"Sure. It's cool. They should have more tv shows like that."

Alec nods his head and bites his lip. Parker watches him the way she listens to a safe, wondering what combination of words might help him to unlock whatever he's keeping back.

She can't think of them; Alec's the one who's good with words, out of the three of them. Maybe he knows the right ones.

"And?" she says.

Alec shrugs. "And, I mean, Garnet's not a woman, and I'm . . . not. A man. I think."

Parker runs her fingers over his palm, the whirls and lines that form his fingertips. "A nonbinary space rock?" she asks.

Alec's laugh is as good as the click of a safe. "Well, not a space rock," he says. "But the nonbinary part, yeah."

"Okay," Parker says, holding his hand more firmly. She bites her lip. It worked the first time, so she tries again. "And?"

"And, I'd like to try different pronouns. They instead of he."

"So, I call you they," Parker repeats. Alec nods. "Anything else? You gonna change your style?"

"Nah," Alec says. There's a little smile floating at the corners of their lips. "Well. Maybe a little. We'll see."

Parker climbs into their lap, straddling their thighs. "You gonna shave your beard?" 

"No way in hell," Alec laughs. Parker kisses them. She's glad; she likes their beard.

"You gonna tell Eliot?" Parker asks. 

*

"Wait," Eliot growls. "Does this mean I'm not bisexual anymore?"

It'd been about a year long process getting Eliot to the point where he figured out he was bisexual. There had been a lot of really interesting angry conflicted sex involved; Parker remembers that period fondly. They still all of them have interesting sex, but it's a bit comfier these days.

Alec rolls their eyes. "Are Parker and I the same gender?" 

Eliot narrows his. "No?" he replies, suspiciously.

"Are you into both of us?"

"Yes?"

"Then you're still bisexual, congratulations."

"Or maybe trisexual," Parker suggests.

"Okay, we will have to do some group internet research on that," Alec says, "because - oh," they stop as Eliot kisses their neck. 

"Done talkin?" Eliot asks. Alec nods enthusiastically. "Good. Parker, why don't you take Alec to bed and wait for me?"

Parker winks and salutes.

"And put their goddamn inhaler next to the bed, will you? I don't want a repeat of last time."

"I brought my own damn inhaler," Alec grumbles. "I can put it on the table."

Parker takes it from him and shrugs before setting it on the table. "He just wants to look after you," she says.

Alec smiles. "I know," they say.

Parker thinks they're as pretty as any stolen Garnet.


End file.
